The best Conservative conference in years

Look, with everything that's going on, this may seem a bit trivial. ("So apart from that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?") Still, for the record, this has been one of the best Conservative conferences I can remember.

Michael Gove's speech was a conference highlight

Not because of policy. While the party is doing some wonderful things – above all, Michael Gove's plans for independent schools within the state sector – it may also be beginning the inevitable retreat from localism that accompanies almost every transition to office.

No, the great thing has been venue. To think that we could have been coming to Birmingham all those years that we were in Blackpool! For ten years, I have been waging a parochial campaign to return the Tory conference to Brighton in my constituency. More recently, I have suggested the odd trip abroad. But, obviously, the party must meet from time to time in Midlands and Northern cities, and this one is as handsome as you could ask. The conference centre is modern and efficient, the main conference hotel is splendid, and the restaurants and shops are immediately at hand. The queues are short, the staff friendly and, in consequence, the delegates are happy. The police are friendly, security is being handled by Gurkhas and I am selling out of copies of The Plan.

My guess is that if you compiled a list of the most captious and mutinous party conferences of the postwar era, most would have been held in Blackpool. The big exception was last year when the Lancashire town was basking in an Indian Summer, and delegates were bidding it a fond farewell. In consequence, David Cameron's speech went down a storm and a week that had begun with Labour 11 points ahead ended with a Tory lead. It's all about mood and context, my friends. Location, location, location.